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José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 230
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Art City Tour goes
white Friday
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The sixth and final Art City Tour for 2014 will be Friday. This is a change in the day of the week. In addition, the event, which features 140 activities is being called the Noche en blanco, and participants are encouraged to wear white. The event begins at 5 p.m., and all of the public museums and many private galleries will be open for visitors. And they are free. Art City Tour has become a popular evening event, and transportation is provided. A lot of participants prefer to ride their bikes. The Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud, which operates most of the museums, has a large role in the evening. The Friday event has been fused with Nuit Blanche, the cultural program that originated in Paris, France. Among other presentations the Compañía Nacional de Danza and students from the Instituto Nacional de la Música will offer "Sombras Blancas," choreographed by Pablo Caravaca, at four museums a half hour apart starting at 6:30 p.m. The museums are the Museo Nacional, the Museo del Jade, the Museo del Oro and the Museo de Arte Costarricense. Alianza Francesa also is sponsoring this and offers an additional 9 p.m. Compañía Nacional de Danza performance at its headquarters on Avenida 7. The many other possibilities for a Friday night out are listed HERE! Canadian died in Tamarindo surf By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A Canadian, believed to be a tourist, died Wednesday when he was caught by a wave in the surf at Tamarindo. Rescue agencies identified him as Dennis Daciuk. He was in his 70s. Two other persons were caught by the same wave, but they survived. The description of the water accident suggests that the culprit was an undertow. Robbery suspect detained at his home By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial agents from Grecia detained a 21-year-old man at his home in Cirrí de Naranjo Wednesday and said he was suspected of being one of three men who committed a street robbery Oct. 26. They said they found items in the home that may be linked to other such crimes. Our reader's opinion
Here are some more supermarket tricksDear A.M. Costa Rica; The piece on supermarkets was interesting. There are some other matters we should be concerned about. Experience from investigating supermarkets in other countries showed that managers and staff are often penalized for stock losses or alternatively incentivized on net margins. This leads to problems for the customer. Stock losses originate from: thefts, internal and external; spoilage, especially in produce such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables; damaged products and from marked down stock. An illegal but widespread way of rectifying this problem is for the store manager to have the staff add more to the price at the tills. As till staff are often penalized for shortages on their till, they might also seek to do this on their own account or just to take home any surplus. Obviously, a way of minimizing the spoilage on produce and other products is to sell it when it is already deteriorating. Maybe that is why in a country with wonderful fresh produce the supermarkets are selling deteriorating products. Selling goods beyond sell-by dates is another common trick. Now ask yourself about your experience in Costa Rica. Widespread, illegibly faded print on the till receipts is a warning that all is not right. We see this all the time. The number of times you spot an item rung up incorrectly can be worrying, especially as it usually is in the supermarket's favor. When checking sell-by dates, are they easy to read and how often are they out of date? The answer of course is consumer protection legislation. This is of no use without proper enforcement. We cannot therefore expect any changes in Costa Rica any time soon. Chris Clarke
Grecia
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 230 | |
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| Trio of thugs ruin life in Costa Rica for Canadian retirees |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Robert Gill fought back when bandits invaded his Caribbean property. So the crooks pistol whipped the 75 year old and left him for dead. His wife, a few yards away, saw the attack and then was confronted by a masked man demanding "Dinero, Dinero" and wielding a knife. She was dumped from a hammock and watched as the crook scooped up money, a computer, a cell phone, a camera and her husband's wallet. The two retired Canadians are both in their 70s, and have been splitting the year since 2001 between Costa Rica and the north. "We leave December 12th, walking away from most of what we own after more than a decade in this beautiful, horrendously perilous country," said Judy Gill via email Wednesday. "But at least we leave with our lives." Their home is in Punta Riel, midway between Cahuita and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. She captioned her email "So dies the dream . . . " Of a potential news story, Mrs. Gill said : "I hope it will warn others who seek to warm arthritic joints in the balmy air here that after dark Costa Rica can only be safely enjoyed behind locked doors and barred windows, and even that is no guarantee." As A.M. Costa Rica readers, the Gills know about criminal activity in the country. But their home invasion did not show up on any of the usual police reports to which newspeople have access. That suggests that the incidence of crime is understated. Expats around Puerto Viejo are sensitive to such news stories because they believe such crimes hurt tourism. There have been several local security efforts. Mrs. Gill said that her husband on the evening of Nov. 12 stepped |
outside to
fill the household water tank, something he did every night. "Clearly, they had been watching and waiting because they were hiding in the dark under the house, having gained access over our surrounding fence," she said of the bandits trio. "As they screamed 'Matar! Matar' which translates as 'Kill! Kill!,' he fought back. If he had died, this would have been premeditated murder. They overwhelmed him and beat him with a pistol butt until he was unconscious." She ended up gagged on a bed as the crooks left. Her husband could not stand or walk well and kept falling. She was unpleasantly surprised to find out that the 911 emergency service did not answer after repeated calls. Finally the pair made it to a helpful neighbor's house, and an ambulance later took a bloodied Robert Gill away for treatment. Why they were targeted still puzzles Mrs. Gill. "We live in a small house, on a small piece of ground, do not own a car, take buses for shopping in local stores and do not flaunt our wealth because we have none to flaunt," she said. In addition to the electronic items, the bandits got away with two Canadian $20 bills and 110,000 colons, a bit more than $200. "Gringo apologists would have us believe these men attacked us and stole from us because they are poor and uneducated and can't find jobs," said Mrs. Gill, adding:. "That is not true. Education is free and mandatory in this country. There are jobs tending and harvesting crops for export and local consumption. There are construction jobs, land clearing jobs and many other possibilities for earning honest livings. Those men have chosen to live as predators, and I don't understand it. I will never understand. Nor will I forget my husband fighting for his life and mine, or forget seeing men in white hoods with only eye-holes, bursting into a place where I felt secure enough to dine, entertain friends, relax and write." Mrs. Gill said that she and her husband will miss the howler monkeys, humming birds, trees, flowers, and "the good friends in this Gringoless community who adopted us into their midst." |
| Immigration crackdown puts a dent in illegal trafficking
network |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Immigration police have cracked down on a system that allowed foreigners to cross the country in the route to the United States. The Fuerza Pública was instrumental in collaring 29 Cubans when two small buses blew through a checkpoint in Cañas. There were 23 men and six women. Also detained were four men who were suspected of transporting the Cubans. In Paso Canoas at the Panamá border, the Policía de Migración detained two of their own on suspicion of letting foreigners enter the country upon payment of money. Officials said that Cubans can easily obtain a visa to Ecuador. From there they make their way with the help of traffickers through Central America and eventually to the U.S. border. The immigration agents in Paso Canoas are accused of letting foreigners enter illegally with the payment of from $25 to $100 cash. The system appears to be elaborate because the arriving foreigners |
 Ministerio de Goberanción,
Policía y Seguridad Pública
Illegal Cuban travelers await
processing.are handed off to Costa Ricans who provide transport to the Nicaragua border. In Cañas police said that a scout car traveled in advance of the buses to keep a lookout for enforcement. |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 230 | |||||
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| Study of slow-slip quakes reported to estimate future
magnitude |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Scientists know where earthquakes are likely to occur, but not when. Now, however, an American geologist and his team have found that it may be possible to forecast how strong an earthquake may be. The Earth’s crust is made of a mosaic of tectonic plates that move slowly, sometimes sliding under one another. Where that happens, a subduction zone, earthquakes can occur. “They’re the kind of earthquake that made the big Japan earthquake in 2011 and the Sumatra earthquake and tsunami in 2004. So they can be, they can be the real killers,” says Timothy H. Dixon, a geologist at the University of South Florida. He and his colleagues are using high-precision GPS measurements to detect slow-slip events, sort of slow-motion earthquakes that can’t be felt or even detected by standard instruments. “So what we think these slow-slip events are telling us is, they’re letting off steam, so to speak, in areas of the fault. And if they let off enough steam, that part of the fault won’t rupture,” he explained in a telephone interview. That’s key, because the more of the fault that ruptures, the more powerful the earthquake is. |
The scientists set
up a network
of GPS receivers 15 years ago in Costa Rica to measure the occasional
slow-slip events, which take place only every year or two. The last one was three months before a 2012 earthquake. People always want to know when an earthquake is going to happen, and this technology can’t predict that. But Dixon says knowing how strong the earthquake is likely to be gives officials time to upgrade building codes, reinforce infrastructure, and make other preparations. “You know the earthquake is more-or-less inevitable. Even if you don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, since you know it’s going to happen, and you know how big it’s going to be, you can prepare accordingly,” he said. He adds that other earthquake-prone subduction zones could benefit from this technology. But for now it can only be used in places where the zone is not too far offshore, because GPS receivers need to “see” satellites overhead, and they can’t do that underwater. A scientific paper presenting Dixon’s findings is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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2014 and may
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
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| Some in Congress primed to attack Obama amnesty By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday fiercely debated the wisdom and legality of action by President Barack Obama to bypass Congress and shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. The mere whisper of an imminent executive order on the subject had senators scrambling to the chamber floor to draw battle lines. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican of Texas, said Obama was not entitled to act on his own. “Most Americans will correctly view this as an abuse of power. An abuse of power!" Cornyn said. "His unilateral action, which is unconstitutional and illegal, will be deeply harmful to our nation’s tradition of the rule of law, and deeply harmful to the future of our democracy.” The president insists he is acting only because Congress has passed no legislation whatsoever to reform America’s much-criticized immigration system. That point was echoed by Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, who noted that the only immigration reform bill to pass either chamber in more than a decade — a comprehensive Senate bill approved last year — has gone nowhere in the House. “The Republican-led House of Representatives has failed to have a hearing on this bill, has refused to bring this bill to the floor, has refused to bring any immigration bill to the floor," Durbin said. "They refuse to address the obvious: We have a broken immigration system. And they refuse to act.” Obama is expected to defer deportations for millions of foreign citizens living illegally in the United States who have U.S.-born children. Such a move would prevent families from being split apart, but would fall short of the comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration laws most lawmakers say is needed. Only Congress can change federal law. Washington officials said Obama's plans, to be unveiled today in Las Vegas, could pertain to as many as five million people. These immigrants would be allowed to stay in the country and work but would not be entitled to federal benefits. Republicans like Cornyn say an immigration overhaul is still possible, but not if Obama short-circuits the political process by acting on his own. “The message that the president and our Democratic friends have given is: We give up. We are not going to do our job as legislators," Cornyn said. "We are going to let the president with the stroke of a pen provide an executive amnesty to millions of people." Not so, according to Durbin, who noted that Obama would not be the first president to act on immigration. “Every president of the United States since Dwight D. Eisenhower has used his executive authority to improve our immigration system," Durbin said. "Every single one of them. President George H.W. Bush issued a family fairness policy allowing 1.5 million people in America to apply for deferred action and work permits. It is clear that presidents have the authority to do this.” Which side is correct? That may be left to the judiciary to decide, as Republicans have promised to challenge any executive order on immigration in federal court. For now, all eyes in the debate are on the White House, where Obama has the next move. Ebola survivor rejects concept of quarantines By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The American doctor who became the first known ebola patient on U.S. soil has expressed concern about the imposition of mandatory quarantines on relief workers returning from West Africa. Kent Brantly said quarantines, such as those enacted in New York and New Jersey, could discourage volunteers from traveling to ebola-stricken countries. Brantly said the way volunteers returning to the United States are treated will have a direct impact on others who are considering travel to West Africa to help ebola victims. “If we quarantine people and treat them like criminals when they come back, telling them ‘you must be confined to your house and have no contact with people,’ that is detrimental in multiple ways,” said Brantly. He said quarantines erode the sense of compassion for those who need it most. “If we treat the returning workers like criminals, how can we have compassion on the people they are going to help?” asked Brantly. He voiced his concerns at an Overseas Security Advisory Council briefing at the State Department, where he also described his own experience after contracting ebola in Liberia. A colleague, Lance Plyler, said at one point, Brantly’s situation appeared bleak. “I have been practicing internal medicine for over 20 years, and I was very convinced that he had a couple of hours to live, and I just looked at him and I could not believe it,” said Plyler. Brantly was flown to an Atlanta hospital in August, where he eventually recovered from ebola. He urged compassion for the thousands of West Africans who are still battling the virus. “We have to go help them. They are in desperate need of help from the international community,” he said. Brantly also said the United States needs a unified policy for dealing with volunteers who are returning home after helping those affected in West Africa. World Bank cuts estimate of ebola's financial impact By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A World Bank official says the ebola epidemic will not be as costly to West Africa's economy as previously feared, thanks to effective containment efforts. Francisco Ferreira, the bank's chief economist for Africa, told an audience in Johannesburg Wednesday that he expects the epidemic’s economic toll on the region will range from $3 to $4 billion. The World Bank in October had predicted the economic impact could be as high as $32 billion if the virus spread significantly outside the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries hardest hit by the outbreak. "The risk of the highest case of economic impact of ebola has been reduced because of the success of containment in some countries," Ferreira said. "It has not gone to zero because a great level of preparedness and focus is still needed." Ferreira said efforts to keep the outbreak from spreading to other African countries were largely successful. Senegal and Nigeria reported cases of the disease but have since been declared ebola-free. Mali is now seeking to contain a small outbreak. The earlier, more dire prediction reflected worries that if ebola were to spread more vigorously beyond the three countries at the outbreak's epicenter, it would devastate cross-border trade, supply chains and tourism. But the fear factor has spread well beyond the outbreak’s actual range, Ferreira said, noting it has deterred tourists from Kenya, South Africa and other countries otherwise unaffected by the contagion. Ferreira said falling global oil prices, which have dropped by almost a third since June, also has fueled instability among African oil producers. Nigeria is the continent’s largest exporter of crude oil. The World Health Organization last week reported a slight rise in the ebola death toll, saying there have been 5,177 deaths among 14,413 confirmed cases worldwide. Land other than forests seen as carbon storage By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Protecting the world’s forests is promoted as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Forests store a lot of carbon in both trees and soil. But some researchers say conserving forests alone will not significantly reduce emissions. It’s estimated that protecting forests could prevent 77 billion tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere by the year 2100. Researcher Alexander Popp said that “protecting forests to abate climate change is definitely worthwhile.” “Avoiding deforestation, in general, is a very important aspect, first of all, in terms of carbon emissions avoidance, but also from other perspectives like biodiversity conservation, local livelihoods or local climate aspects,” he said. Popp, group leader on land use management at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said while preventing deforestation does have beneficial effects, there can be consequences if that’s all that’s done. “Indeed, emissions are reduced, but what we could observe is that there are now new emissions occurring from a kind of leakage effect, displacement effect,” he said. In other words, preserving forests means other types of land would be used to grow crops instead. Popp said that would result in environmental losses. “Loss of non-forest ecosystems that also have a high carbon content in the soil, in the vegetation, like wetlands savannahs, for example, in Africa or grasslands, and also have a high biodiversity content,” he said. High biodiversity content means lots of plant and animal species. Current climate change negotiations include something called REDD or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. But Popp says it only focuses on protecting forests. “The largest benefits for climate change mitigation could be achieved by…a forest conservation scheme and the inclusion of other land types with high carbon content,” he said. “We did big computer simulations and we looked at three different potential future land use rules: one scenario without any carbon conservation; one with avoiding deforestation only; and one with conservation of all land use types that have high carbon content.” The all-inclusive model yielded the greatest carbon benefits and protected biodiversity. But if a wide variety of land is protected how does agricultural production increase to feed a rapidly growing global population? Popp said one way is to boost yields on existing farmland. “In sub-Saharan Africa, there’s much more potential for agricultural yields that we currently observe and therefore much more potential for agricultural production," he said. "If these potential yields could be catched-up compared to the current yields we observe today – and improve small holder farm management – it would be an added value in terms of taking the pressure from the land and therefore decreasing agricultural expansion.” Another way to meet future food needs, he says, is by reducing waste in agricultural production. Much food is lost through poor harvesting methods and lack of proper storage and transportation. Also, studies have shown billions of dollars worth of food is wasted every year in developed countries. For example, the Natural Resources Defense Council has estimated that “40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten…the equivalent of $165 billion a year.” It says the food then rots in landfills adding another greenhouse gas to the atmosphere – methane. Livestock production in developed countries, he says, also uses a lot of resources. It also produces a lot of methane. Popp said that if demand for agricultural commodities is reduced by cutting waste and making agriculture more efficient, there would be less demand for land use. Given the lack of progress made in climate change negotiations, Popp and his colleagues doubt their comprehensive approach will be adopted now. They said that “a more achievable approach” may be to protect non-forest areas that can store a lot of carbon and have good biodiversity. The REDD plan, they said, would have to be altered so funds can go to programs not related to forests. The next climate change conference takes place in Lima, Peru. Known as COP 20 – or conference of parties – the meeting runs from December 1-12. Senate vetoes Keystone by a single vote margin By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. Senate has rejected construction of a controversial pipeline to transport Canadian oil to American refineries. The $5 billion project still could be approved next year, but it faces a possible veto by President Barack Obama. The pipeline has exposed deep divisions in Congress about America’s energy future. In a nation reliant on fossil fuels, Keystone proponents promise a better future if the pipeline is built. “Energy independence for our nation is possible, for the first time ever,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu, a backer and a Democrat. Opponents warn of an ecological disaster with a high human cost. “Every dollar that we spend today on developing and using more fossil fuels is another dollar spent in digging the graves of our grandchildren,” warned Sen. Tom Harkin, another Democrat. At issue: expansion of North American pipelines to send an extra 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil daily to U.S. Gulf states. Environmentalists say the oil is not needed and will boost global greenhouse gases. Public Citizen Energy Program director Tyson Slocum said the project is unnecessary, “You’ve got countries like the United States and others that have stepped up oil production, and so it’s safe to predict that for the next several years we’re not going to be threatened by the types of supply-demand balance problems that caused the crisis in oil markets to push prices up," said Slocum. Pipeline advocates note that reliable, affordable energy is a global concern. Heritage Foundation energy economist Nick Loris argued that the pipeline would provide greater access to affordable energy. “We need to get more people access to conventional fuels and affordable and reliable energy. And if you look at what people say, according to United Nations surveys and things of that nature, up at the top of that list is access to affordable, reliable energy, and down at the bottom of that list is action on climate change,” said Loris. The Republican-led House of Representatives approved the pipeline last week. Senate backers fell one vote shy of the three-fifths majority required for passage, but congressional approval is likely next year, when Republicans will control both houses. The pipeline has strong support from Republican Mitch McConnell, who will be Senate majority leader in January, and has already promised an early vote. “Keystone XL is just common sense. It’s a shovel-ready jobs project that would help thousands of Americans find work, it would increase our supply of North American energy, and do all that with minimal net climate impact. That is why the American people support it,” said McConnell. The White House has hinted at a veto if and when the project is approved. President Obama is a proponent of alternative energy sources, as is Sen. Barbara Boxer, another Democrat.. “Let me tell you how you get energy independence. You produce what you can here, and we have been doing that where it's appropriate, and you also utilize the sun, and the wind, and the geothermal and the clean energies of the future that believe me when you embrace the clean energy agenda, you get far more jobs, you don’t have pollution,” said Sen. Boxer. Polls show Americans are concerned about climate change, but are also eager for cheaper fuel and more jobs. |
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2014 and may
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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Missing students
raise more questions
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Protests in Mexico over 43 students missing since September continue to escalate, reflecting growing anger among Mexicans about a political system they view as corrupt, and increasingly tainted by the drug trade. Mounting outrage over the disappearances is now focused on the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto, which is being accused of not doing enough to end insecurity in the country. Protesters firebombed the front door of the presidential palace in Mexico City earlier this month. The students, who attended a teacher's college, disappeared in the rural town of Iguala in Guerrero state. Government authorities accuse local police of detaining the students, all men, on the orders of the town's mayor, who did not want the students to disrupt a speech by his wife. The police then allegedly handed them over to a drug gang that killed them. The mayor and his wife have been arrested. But Mexicans continue to demand answers, not just about the students, but about the more than 20,000 Mexicans missing in a country plagued by drug violence and a weak legal system. Solemnidad Sánchez, one of the protesters who recently took to the streets of Guerrero’s capital, said the protests are not just about the 43 students. "The society and the people of Guerrero are tired, not just because of the disappearance of the 43 students, but tired of the thousands of missing in Guerrero and all over Mexico," said Ms. Sánchez. Critics of Mexican President Peña Nieto say he has tried to deflect attention from deteriorating security conditions by focusing on other issues, like energy reforms. Maureen Meyer, of the Washington Office on Latin America, said reality has finally caught up with the Mexican leader. “You have long-term efforts that need to happen, but I think at a minimum you need the government to recognize the magnitude of the crisis they're facing and the magnitude of the security problems they have in parts of the country, and commit to justice, not just for the family members of these students but for all the other families that have been affected by violence in the past seven, eight years,” said Ms. Meyer. Until now, there are no answers in the search for the missing students, only grim discoveries. Mass graves have been found in the area around Iguala, raising even more questions: Whose bodies are buried there? And what is Enrique Peña Nieto's government going to do about it? Deal reached to free kidnapped general By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Colombian government and leftist rebels have struck a deal on conditions to free a general the guerrillas are holding captive. The government has suspended peace talks being held in Cuba until the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia frees Gen. Ruben Dario Alzate, who was seized over the weekend. Cuba, Norway, Venezuela and Chile, who are assisting in the peace talks, announced the agreement Wednesday in the Cuban capital. The statement did not say when or where Alzate might be freed or give any details on the conditions for his release. The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, Colombia's largest rebel group, has kidnapped scores of civilians and soldiers for ransom during its 50-year insurgency against the government. The group pledged in 2012 to stop kidnapping civilians, but said it would still target police and military personnel. |
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| From Page 7: Irish firm can credit cell phone in Costa Rica Special to A.M. Costa Rica
Ding* the world’s largest top-up provider, has announced a large-scale expansion enabling South Americans living abroad to add credit to the mobile phones of their loved ones in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. Already connected to over 300 mobile operators, this expansion adds another five operators to the growing ding* network which is available in over 130 countries with a reach of 3.5 billion phones worldwide, the company said. There are over two million persons from these countries living around the world, with the majority (90 percent) of Puerto Ricans and Costa Ricans living in the U.S. and the majority of Ecuadorians (45 percent) based in Spain. This significant expansion offers an additional, convenient way for these people to support their family and friends back home, the Dublin-based company said. With ding* they can safely send mobile credit directly to their loved ones’ phones on www.ding.com, the ding* mobile apps or in 500,000 retail outlets around the world, it added. The credit is delivered in as little as three seconds. Commenting on the development, CEO Mark Roden said: “We are delighted to be expanding in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. Our service can really make a difference in people’s lives and we can now reach South Americans living anywhere in the world and make it easier for them to stay close to the loved ones they’re separated from.” |
